* * *
Your nameplate says Kevin Pritchard, President and GM, Indiana Pacers. So tell
me Mr. Pritchard, how are you going to keep your star player in Indiana? Or do
you have other plans?
* * *
David Aldridge: You’re going to check your phone the week of June 19, when it’s
revealed whether Paul George (I assume you’re talking about PG13 and not, say,
Glenn Robinson III) made one of the three All-NBA teams this season. If George
did make one, he’d be eligible for the new Designated Player Exception for vets
that’s in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, and you could offer him a
five-year deal for more than $200 million — $75 million more than any other
team in the league could offer him.
If, after saying to him “Paul, we’d like to offer you a five-year deal for more
than $200 million,” any words other than “I’ll take it!” come out of his mouth,
go back to your phone and start speed-dialing every team in the Western
Conference — and, Boston. The Celtics may be a little more aggressive about
getting something done with George if their plans/hopes of going after Gordon
Hayward have run aground due to Utah’s first-round playoff win over the LA
Clippers. Boston may not be willing to part with its 2017 first-round pick from
the Brooklyn Nets, but if the Celtics are serious about getting George, the 2018
pick they also still have from the Brooklyn heist should be in play, and would
still be of great value for you. A package of that 2018 first, another first
down the road — and a couple of Boston’s top rotation guys — should get the
conversational blood flowing.
Steve Aschburner: This sounds like a reporter’s question, so I’ll answer
accordingly: “We’re going to include Paul George – as our MVP, as the player who
will bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to the Hoosier State – in all our
organizational decisions and sell him on our vision of surrounding him with the
best talent available…” Now, can we talk? I don’t see how we can deter George
from getting to the Lakers sooner or later. So, in honor of my friend Larry Bird
and his storied rivalry with Magic Johnson, I’m going to try to extract as many
assets as possible from the Lakers’ new basketball boss if he wants to welcome
George to L.A. this summer or at any point before the February trading deadline.
Reality is reality.
Fran Blinebury: No matter whose name is on the door, I don’t believe Paul George
plans to remain in Indy and that’s a big part of why Larry Bird left the job.
I’m not waiting to prolong the inevitable. So I’m packing George up and trying
to get the best package of young players and draft picks that I can to build
around. Is that the Lakers? Could be. George gets to go home and maybe the next
edition of the Pacers starts with Julius Randle.
Scott Howard-Cooper: I’d better have other plans. The real concern is that
whether Paul George stays or not is out of my hands. It’s his call. There isn’t
much I can do other than continue to show him we are committed to winning now
and that Indy is the best place to build a future. If he insists on leaving, and
maybe to a team that’s far behind us in trying to reach a title at that, I don’t
have much of a counter.
Shaun Powell: I have other plans. This is the right time to begin a rebuilding
plan because I start with a clean slate and my boss will give me a honeymoon
period. Paul George’s value will never be higher and so now is the time to swing
a deal that gives me a young player plus a pick; otherwise, I risk disaster in
2018 when he can walk. I call Magic Johnson and offer George for Brandon Ingram
and a No. 1. I sweeten the deal by agreeing to take one of the salary slugs on
the Laker roster (Timofey Mozgov) and explain to Magic that he needs George now,
rather than risk waiting until George hits free agency, in order to give Russell
Westbrook a reason to join the Lakers in 2018.
John Schuhmann: I’m hoping that George makes an All-NBA team, allowing me to pay
him a lot more than any other team. Whether he does or doesn’t, I’m having a
conversation about his future prior to the Draft. And if he’s not 100 percent
committed to staying in Indiana, my first three calls are to Danny Ainge, Bryan
Colangelo and Magic Johnson. I need to gather assets (young players and picks)
to maximize my chances of having a good team in 3-5 years.
Sekou Smith: That names looks good on the big office door, doesn’t it? Anywho,
about that Paul George business — I have a simple question for Paul: Do you
want to be here or not? If so, great. We’ll move mountains to put a quality team
around him and compete at the highest level. If not, we’re moving him as soon as
possible. We’ll work with him to make sure it’s to a Western Conference
destination he prefers, because there is absolutely no way I’m trading him
within the conference. No one is going to give me a comparable talent in return
and I don’t want him leading a team that is a direct playoff competitor. If he
doesn’t want to call Indiana home, maybe native son Gordon Hayward would be an
option. Either way, I’m working the phones non-stop until I find the right deal.
Ian Thomsen: I’m going to wait and find out whether I can offer him the extra
$70 million that he can receive for making the All-NBA teams. Then — whether
I’m able to offer him the super-max or the “routine” max — I’ll be explaining
to him and his agent what we’re up against as a franchise in order to gauge
whether he’s here to stay. If he isn’t (and I’m guessing he probably won’t be),
then my next calls will be made to the NBA’s most compelling franchises — the
Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks, the LA Clippers and so on
— to gauge their best offer. Yes, we all know that George appears headed to the
Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. But if you believe in your franchise — this being
my pitch to Danny Ainge, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers and others — then
how can you pass up this rare chance to hire George for one year in hope of
convincing him to stay for the long term? I’ll create a bidding war as best I
can, trade him for as much as I can get, and begin the long rebuild around Myles
Turner.
Lang Whitaker: Well, first you see if George made the All-NBA teams, which means
he could make a whole lot more money by staying in Indiana. But I guess the
bigger question is: Do you want to continue to build around Paul George, or are
you ready to try something different? The grass may always seem greener on the
other side, but George is one of those rare two-way players who can play at a
superstar level. If I’m Indiana, I keep PG-13 and try to make his supporting
cast better.
